Whittier PTA 6.15.370 Standing Rules Article 1. Name, Purpose and History of Organization 1.1. The name of this unit is Whittier PTA, local unit 6.15.370 ( PTA ). It was chartered in December 1955. 1.2. The PTA serves the children enrolled at Whittier Elementary School. It works to support and enhance the Whittier model of academic excellence, community, and respect, so that all Whittier students can become lifelong learners and responsible citizens. 1.3. The PTA is part of the Washington State Parent Teacher Association ( WSPTA ) and the National Parent Teacher Association ( NPTA ), and adheres to the bylaws of those organizations as well as these Standing Rules. Article 2. State and Federal Status, Filings 2.1. The PTA was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on November 28, 1988. It is assigned corporation account number 2-406818-1. The Treasurer is responsible for filing the Annual Corporation Report by November 30 of each year. 2.2. The Registered Agent for this corporation is the WSPTA. 2.3. The PTA was granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) on July 13, 1990. 2.4. The PTA is registered under the Charitable Solicitations Act, registration Number 5283. The Treasurer is responsible for filing annual registration by May 31 of each year. 2.5. The Treasurer is responsible for filing the IRS Form 990 prior to November 15 of each year. 2.6. The PTA shall purchase appropriate insurance. 2.7. The PTA shall operate in a fiscally responsible manner and comply with the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act, the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations and all other applicable law. 2.8. The PTA will annually review, complete, sign, and submit the WSPTA Standards of Affiliation Agreement by the deadline established by the WSPTA. 2.9. The PTA shall keep original copies of all legal documents, including but not limited the the documents described herein, in a binder maintained by the Secretary and located at Whittier Elementary School. All board members shall have access to the contents of the legal documents binder. Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:06 PM Elementary Comment [1]: NOTE ON REVISIONS: All changes that do not have a comment bubble explanation are either (a) minor corrections; or (b) substantive revisions or additions for consistency with the WSPTA bylaws. Other proposed changes are intended to how Whittier PTA already does business or to make other warranted changes -- all of these are explained in comment bubbles. In other words, if there is no comment bubble it is a WSPTA change or minor correction. Cherise Gaffney 9/5/2016 3:55 PM This Comment [2]: This is the purpose we have listed in materials, so it should be reflected in our standing rules. Comment [3]: Intended to serve as a reminder that we must follow rules beyond these ones. Cherise Gaffney 9/17/2016 2:49 PM This Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 9:00 AM ashington Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 9:00 AM tate Cherise Gaffney 10/26/2016 1:58 PM Cherise Gaffney 10/26/2016 1:58 PM is Cherise Gaffney 10/26/2016 1:58 PM This Cherise Gaffney 9/5/2016 4:05 PM t Cherise Gaffney 9/17/2016 2:50 PM th Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:27 PM <#>This unit shall keep at least two notebooks with copies of its legal documents in two separate locations. The original Legal Documents binder will be kept with the Treasurer s File; the second copy will be kept by the Secretary. Comment [4]: This change reflects what the board is doing and makes more sense than... [1] 1
Article 3. Membership 3.1. Membership in the PTA is open without discrimination to all parents, teachers, staff, grandparents, guardians, students, community members, and any other persons who supports the purposes and basic policies of the PTA, upon payment of the required dues. 3.2. The students of Whittier Elementary School shall be considered honorary members of the PTA but without voice, vote or the privilege of holding office. 3.3. The membership fees of the PTA are: $20.00 for an individual, $30 for a family, and $10 for current Whittier Elementary teachers and staff. These figures includes the combination fees of the NPTA, the WSPTA, and the SCPTSA fees. Any change in the PTA portion of the fee must be approved by the general membership. 3.4. All memberships extend through October 31 of the following fiscal year. Article 4. Board of Directors and Committees 4.1. All board members must be PTA members in good standing. To be elected as an officer, a person must be a member of the PTA. 4.2. The elected officers of the PTA s Board of Directors are the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary. This group constitutes the Executive Committee. 4.3. The name of each candidate for an elected officer position must be contained in the notice of meeting to the general membership. During the general membership meeting, which must be held prior to the WSPTA election deadline, additional nominations may be made from the floor with the consent of the nominee. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the general membership voting by ballot at a meeting at which a quorum is present. If only one candidate is nominated for an office, however, the candidate shall be declared elected. In the event of a vacancy, the Executive Committee may appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next general meeting when the membership shall elect an officer to fill the vacancy. 4.4. The PTA Board of Directors consists of the elected officers and the following appointed Directors: Events Director, Programs Director, Communications Director, Fundraising Director, Outreach Director, Legislative Representative, Membership Director, Volunteer Coordinator and Hospitality Coordinator. 4.5. Once elected, the incoming President shall appoint, and the incoming Executive Committee, by a vote at a meeting at which a quorum of Executive Committee is present, shall approve appointments to the board of directors. This action may occur prior to the beginning of the incoming Executive Committee s term. 4.6. Elected or appointed positions may be held jointly by 2 people. Each person holding such position shall be entitled to voice and vote at a board of directors meeting. Following the recommendation of WSPTA, Co-Treasurers are strongly discouraged. A Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 4:34 PM is Comment [5]: Reflects how the PTA communicates this to embers. Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 4:34 PM this he PTA are: shall be set... [2] at Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 9:01 AM or 10 for current Whittier... [3] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:11 AM nominees and oard members... [4] Cherise Gaffney 11/7/2016 10:32 AM Comment [6]: The 15 day requirement is unnecessarily burdensome. Either a person has been a member for some time or joins when they realize they want to be considered for a board position whether they join 15 days prior to the general meeting or during the meeting makes no substantive difference and the distinction may eliminate candidates who would otherwise be nominated from the floor. It seems sufficient to require that a person is a member when they are elected. Cherise Gaffney 9/17/2016 2:54 PM is PTA s Board of Directors shall... [5] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:16 AM shall onsists of the elected... [6] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:14 AM T e incoming Executive... [7] Comment [7]: Changes here address some of the questions that came up last year about when this happens. Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:18 AM Moved down [1]: A quorum of the Executive Committee is a majority of the elected officers. Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:16 AM two ( )... [8] 2
Treasurer with an elected Assistant Treasurer is a preferred option. It shall be a goal of the PTA, although not a requirement, to stagger terms where a position is held by two people. 4.7. The School Principal and 1-2 staff members are invited to participate in an advisory capacity at all board meetings (with the exception of when the board is in executive session) and general meetings. 4.8. PTA board quorum is a simple majority of members. A quorum of the Executive Committee is a majority of the elected officers. 4.9. This PTA s Board of Directors will meet approximately monthly on a date and time to be determined by its current board. Special meetings may be called by the President or upon written request of the majority of the members of the board consistent with the WSPTA bylaws. Meetings will generally be open to observation by the general membership, except when the Board is in executive session; meeting dates, times and locations will be communicated to the general membership. 4.10. No elected officer may serve in the same board position for more than two consecutive terms. A term of office is defined as July 1st for one year and until a successor is elected. A board member having served at least 8 months of a term shall be considered to have served a full term. 4.11. No member of the PTA Board of Directors, or any of its Committees, shall derive any personal profit or gain by reason of his or her participation with the PTA. Each individual shall disclose to the PTA any personal interest that he or she may have in any matter pending before the PTA and shall refrain from participation in any discussion or decision on such matter. 4.12. The PTA is a self-governing unit and may take any actions in furtherance of its mission, provided those actions are not contrary to the laws and policies of the WSPTA, NPTA, City of Seattle, Washington State, or the United States. For business to be conducted, a quorum must be present at a properly called board meeting. Absentee, mail or electronic ballots are prohibited. 4.13. The PTA will comply with the training requirements necessary to remain in good standing, as specified in the most current WSPTA bylaws, and will maintain documentation of compliance with this requirement. 4.14. A Nominating Committee shall be elected at a General Membership meeting in the fall by a plurality vote; however, if only three candidates are nominated, the three candidates shall be declared elected. The Vice President shall convene the first meeting of the Nominating Committee, at which a Chairperson shall be elected by a majority of members. In the event a member of the nominating committee resigns, the Board may appoint a replacement member. Nominating Committee members must be members of the PTA for at least 30 days preceding election to the Committee. A member may serve no more than two consecutive terms on the Nominating Committee. Neither the President(s) nor the Whittier principal may serve on the committee. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the general membership the names of a proposed slate of Comment [8]: This has been discussed several times in nomination committee and board meetings, so seems worthy of a mention. Comment [9]: Because the bylaws say these non-board members are invited, it seems necessary to expressly provide a... [9] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:18 AM Moved (insertion) [1] Comment [10]: This reference substitutes... [10] Comment [11]: This language isn t... [11] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 10:18 AM (example: 1st Monday of... every [12] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:03 PM board member Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:20 PM a single <#>... [13] Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:42 PM which Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:41 PM Whittier Washington State the B -L <#>Per the Washington State... [14] of the PTA board call Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:23 PM Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:18 PM A 3
officers at least 15 days prior to the spring General Membership meeting at which the election of officers for the upcoming year will be held. 4.15. The final slate of elected and appointed officers shall be submitted to WSPTA no later than the deadline imposed by the WSPTA. 4.16. Board members shall read and understand the responsibilities and expectations associated with their position. Job descriptions are available from the Nominating Committee Chair. In some cases additional tasks may be asked of any board member. It is expected that board members will attend all board and general meetings. A Board member s inability to complete tasks and responsibilities and/or excessive absences from meetings may result in a request for resignation from the Board. 4.17. Any agenda items for consideration by the Board of Directors shall be submitted to the President at least 7 days prior to the scheduled meeting date. Items submitted later than that may be added or not at the discretion of the President. 4.18. The board may from time to time adopt policies to help the PTA run efficiently and minimize conflict. Any adopted policies will be maintained by the Secretary with the legal documents in the PTA office located at Whittier Elementary School and shall be available on request to all members of the PTA. Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:18 PM shall be posted Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:19 PM (example: in April or May) Article 5. Meetings of the General Membership and Quorum 5.1. General membership meetings shall be held at the direction of the Board of Directors with ten days notice to the general membership. Special meetings may be called as needed with a minimum of five days notice in accordance with the WSPTA bylaws. 5.2. The spring meeting at which officers are elected is designated as the annual meeting. Members must have a minimum of 50 days notice prior to the annual meeting. 5.3. The following shall take place at General Membership meetings: adoption of the budget (spring meeting), adoption/revision of the standing rules (first meeting of the fiscal year), election of the nominating committee (fall meeting), election of officers (spring meeting). Additionally, the Treasurer shall present to the General Membership the monthly financial report at each meeting, and the financial review committee shall present its report to the General Membership once approved by the Board. 5.4. Any agenda items for consideration by the General Membership shall be submitted to the President at least 7 days prior to the scheduled meeting date for the President, in his or her discretion, to include. Items submitted later than that may be added or not at the discretion of the President. 5.5. Quorum at a General Membership meeting shall be 15 members. Article 6. Budget and Finance 6.1. It is highly recommended that a survey of the General Membership s funding priorities be conducted each spring, prior to the budget process. This survey should ask questions regarding how PTA funds should be spent, which PTA sponsored activities should be continued, and for overall comments and suggestions. Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:10 PM Currently, Whittier PTA General Membership meetings are held every other month of the year. Comment [12]: This reference substitutes for including all of the long WSPTA process requirements. It seems important to alert anyone who might call a special meeting to the fact that there is a process, but it is in a different document. Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:47 PM A Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:29 PM and Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 1:48 PM shall take place at General Membership meetings Comment [13]: This is a clarification consistent with our understanding of the rules and Whittier PTA s recently adopted policy on raising issues and opportunities with the PTA, i.e., that the president consults the executive committee and decides what is appropriate consistent with the policy. 4
6.2. The PTA shall approve its annual operating budget in the spring of each year for the following fiscal year. 6.3. Planning for the next year s budget should begin in late February or early March. This committee is chaired by the Treasurer, and should include the President. While input from the school staff (including the Principal) is helpful, it could create a conflict of interest to have any school staff member on the Budget Planning Committee. 6.4. All checks must be signed by two authorized Executive Committee members, other than the recipient of the funds. Only members of the Executive Committee shall be signers on the PTA bank account. Once elected, but prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year, the incoming executive committee shall appoint three of its members as signers on the PTA bank account. 6.5. No debit, credit or ATM cards may be used for PTA purposes. Online banking is allowed. 6.6. All reimbursement requests for authorized expenses must include a receipt or invoice. All requests for reimbursement shall be submitted to the Treasurer within 60 days of purchase and shall be received by June 1st. Any exceptions to the processing of reimbursement requests after 60 days are at the discretion of the Treasurer. 6.7. Once the budget is approved it can be amended by vote of those present at a meeting of the membership. The Executive Committee has the authority to re-allocate funds within the approved budget up to $1000 without a vote of the board or general membership. This option shall not be exercised more than twice a year. The Board of Directors has the authority to reallocate funds within the approved budget up to $5000 without a vote of the General Membership. 6.8. All monetary donations become part of the general fund, unless funds are raised as part of a defined fundraising campaign. 6.9. The PTA shall conduct a financial review at the close of the fiscal year, which is June 30. A financial review committee with a minimum of 3 members shall be appointed by the President in the fall. There is no limit on the number of years a member may serve on the financial review committee; however, members of this committee shall not include the Treasurer or any person authorized to sign on the PTA bank account for the period being reviewed or any individuals living in their household. Records must be submitted to the committee for this financial review no later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year. The report of the financial review committee must be approved by the Board and presented to the members at a General Membership meeting. 6.10. The PTA s monthly bank account statements shall be provided unopened to a board member appointed by the Executive Committee. This appointment shall take place at the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1). Once elected, but prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year, the incoming executive committee shall appoint a board member to review such statements. The statement reviewer shall not be a signer on the account. The reviewer shall report any concerns or discrepancies identified in the review to the Executive Committee in writing. If there are no concerns, the Comment [14]: This is critical to ensure a smooth transition but wasn t provided for in the previous version of these rules. Cherise Gaffney 9/17/2016 2:00 PM - Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:28 PM th Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:28 PM, Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:28 PM, Comment [15]: The WSPTA bylaws do not limit the number of years a member may serve and we know of no other requirement to limit service on this committee. This language clarifies that there is no such limit. Cherise Gaffney 10/26/2016 1:50 PM M 5
reviewer shall sign the statements prior to providing the statements to the Treasurer for reconciliation. 6.11. The PTA may not enter into financial obligations extending beyond the fiscal year except as approved by the membership. The membership s approval of the annual budget in spring authorizes such spending for the following fiscal year, and the membership need only re-approve for revisions that exceed the reallocation limits provided in Section 6.7. Article 7. Funding Proposals 7.1. Any funding proposal over one thousand dollars made to the Board shall be presented to the General Membership for approval. The board shall review the funding proposal and vote whether or not to recommend approval at the next General Membership meeting. The funding proposal may be presented to the General Membership whether or not it has earned the Board s recommendation. Funding Proposals shall be received by the President at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting date. 7.2. Requests for funding under $1000 shall be considered and voted on by the Board. If declined by the Board, a funding requestor may ask to be included on the agenda for the next General Membership meeting to present their proposal. 7.3. All approved funding proposals shall align with the Whittier PTA s mission. Preference will be given to requests which fund projects, programs or activities that support multiple student groups or have multi-year benefits. Funding Proposals are not intended to be used to supplement yearly classroom supplies, or be used for single use items for an individual classroom. Article 8. Awards 8.1. One or more Golden Acorn Awards shall be presented annually at the spring General Meeting to an outstanding volunteer(s). A committee appointed by the President/s shall select the recipient. The committee shall determine the number of recipients as well as which awards are presented. Article 9. Conference and State and Local Representations 9.1. The vote of this PTA for the position of WSPTA Area Vice President shall be determined by the Board. 9.2. The voting delegates to the Seattle Council PTSA, annual WSPTA convention and WSPTA legislative assembly shall be determined by the Board The Board shall determine the number of delegates to be funded by the PTA to each event. Article 10. Standing Rules 10.1. Whittier PTA s Standing Rules shall be presented annually and adopted by a majority vote at the first General Meeting. Comment [16]: This language makes clear that membership approval of the budget falls into the exception carved out by the first sentence in this paragraph (which is from the WSPTA bylaws). Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:30 PM <#>All checks must be signed by two authorized Executive Committee members, other than the recipient of the funds. Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:33 PM May Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:54 PM <#>Voting delegates to the Seattle Council PTSA shall be the President(s), Vice-President and Secretary. The alternates shall be the Treasurer and Legislative Representative. Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:53 PM ashington State PTA Regional Director Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:53 PM Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:33 PM b Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:33 PM of directors Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:51 PM Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:52 PM in the following order: Outgoing President, Incoming President, Incoming Vice-President, Incoming Secretary, Incoming Treasurer, Outgoing Vice- President, Outgoing Secretary, Outgoing Treasurer. Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:34 PM b Cherise Gaffney 10/18/2016 5:34 PM of directors Cherise Gaffney 9/16/2016 12:52 PM <#>The voting delegate to the WSPTA Legislative Assembly shall be determined in the following order: Legislative Representative, President, Vicepresident, Secretary, Treasurer, PTA member in good standing. The board of directors shall determine the number of delegates to be funded by the PTA. 6
10.2. The Standing Rules may be amended at any time by a vote of the General Membership. If the membership has been given 7 days notice prior to the date of the meeting of the intended change, then the change may be approved by a majority vote of the members present (if a quorum has been established). If no notice was given prior to the meeting, a two-thirds vote of the members present is required (if a quorum has been established). Article 11. Dissolution Statement 11.1. In the event that the Whittier PTA Seattle Council 6.15.370 should dissolve, any PTA funds remaining on deposit and any accounts receivable shall go to any subsequently organized 501(c) Whittier PTA organization. 7